Bev and I flew from San Francisco to Phoenix on July 30, where we picked up a rental car and drove to Sedona for three nights, then to Santa Fe for three nights before flying home on August 6. Here are some of the highlights of the trip.

There are so many trails in Sedona that it’s hard to choose which ones to take. We started our treks by taking the Eagles Nest Trail in Red Rock State Park. The trail goes through forested areas and crosses Oak Creek — the major waterway that formed the canyon of the same name leading up to Flagstaff from Sedona.

We also enjoy walking through the red rock formations. One of the most iconic is Bell Rock, which is regarded one of several vortices in Sedona — places where the earth seems especially alive with energy and that inspire, recharge, or energize many visitors. Starting north of Bell Rock we took the Bell Rock Trail up as far as the flat plateau, an estimated 150 feet increase in elevation from the parking lot. We were thankful for the cloud cover during the hike because the temperature before starting was about 95 degrees.

One of the places not to miss in Sedona is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, built into the buttes on a hill, operated by the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Phoenix, and open to all people. The chapel provides space for meditation in the natural beauty of its surroundings and the patios surrounding the chapel provide great views of the area.

Two of the several great shopping areas in Sedona are at Tlaquepaque (a plaza designed after one in Mexico City) and Uptown (similar to many small town main streets). We were intrigued with some of the sculpture in Tlaquepaque.

While going through the shops in Uptown, we took shelter under an awning during a very heavy, but short-lived shower.

After the shower cleared, we headed to a restaurant at L’Auberge and sat on a sheltered part of the deck. If it had been dry, we would have enjoyed dining immediately beside Oak Creek. The setting (and food) was great in any event.

One of the most beautiful drives is U.S. 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon. Near the top is a rest/view area boasting Native American artisans selling their wares and outstanding views of the canyon.

After reaching Interstate 40 in Flagstaff and turning east toward Albuquerque, in about 10 miles we stopped at the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Starting at an elevation of nearly 6,700 feet, one of us took the one mile trail from the Visitor Center, which descended 185 feet down into the canyon, passing 25 cliff dwellings occupied by the Sinaguas from about 1100 to 1250 CE.

We stayed overnight in Gallup on our way to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we checked into the WorldMark timeshare about a half mile from the plaza. We dined at La Boca, repeating our experience four years earlier of having a great meal there. We don’t usually go for dessert, but . . .

The next day we watched intriguing glass blowing at Liquid Light Glass and toured a large art gallery called, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, that featured many old paintings and an extensive outdoor sculpture garden.

That evening, we saw Santa Fe Opera’s wonderful production of Madama Butterfly.

On our last day we engaged in a day trip north of Santa Fe to the Bandelier National Monument, where as many as 800 ancestral Pueblo people lived in cave dwellings from 1150 to 1550 CE. A 1.2 mile loop trail climbs about 150 feet, passing several of the numerous “cavates,” some of which are available for close inspection or entry by climbing ladders. A cavate is a word combined from “cave” and “excavate” — in other words, an excavated cave.

Flying home from Albuquerque gave us time to reflect on all the grandeur and history we had seen on this trip in two glorious locations — Sedona and Santa Fe.